My Name Is Not Cinderella
by Kasbunny
Summary: The Apostles of the Stars have disbanded after Creed's defeat and everyone is left to live their lives from what they can. Some people have less left than others, however, and Doctor Kanzaki has abandoned all hope when an unlikely character takes him in.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat nor any of the characters within. Black Cat is property of its respective creator, Kentaro Yabuki.**

**A/N: Considering Xiao does not receive enough air time for a person to judge his personality I am going on my own brief observations and assumptions of him for this piece. (And we do not know much about Doctor outside of his perverted insanity for knowledge, really, so him, too.) So, please, no talk of OOC or what-not. Also, forewarning, this story will contain shounen-ai themes. If you have a problem with that, back away now. And if you have a problem with Xiao and Doctor, and unlikely pair, being together by a whim of mine when canon does not suggest this at all (I don't believe they exchange words once), then again, do not bother commenting on it. Just back away. Otherwise, please enjoy.  
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Lin Xiao Li, better known as No. X of Chronos, was walking calmly down the street when he saw him. Creed's plans had long been stopped and the Apostles of the Stars disbanded, not too much of a threat nowadays. Black Cat (and his companions) had done a thorough job of ending their operations. They would not continue without their leader.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Xiao had wondered what happened to the Apostles of the Stars. It was quite the coincidence that just as he pondered over this thought one day that he should find one of them, Doctor Kanzaki he thought his name was, huddled on the street.

Hesitant at first, like walking into an obvious trap, Xiao knelt down by the doctor. (He was in disguise, of course, because it was better not to stir Doctor into attacking him if he still thought of going against Chronos -- Lin did not know what the man was capable of, after all.)

"Sir?" he said, gently shaking the doctor. "Sir, are you alive?"

Pulling away, Doctor blinked his bleary eyes open to stare at the stranger. "Yes, I am," he snapped, albeit weakly, "What do you want?"

"Are you homeless?" Xiao questioned innocently.

"It's none of your business," Doctor answered, pulling his shrouds or blankets or whatever it was tighter around him. "Go away. I don't need your pity."

Xiao smiled, shrugging. "Okay. I just thought you might like a shower and a decent meal..." He stood, turning to leave. A few steps away he heard a cough and then "wait!".

Seems he would have company that night after all.

As Doctor showered in the man's hotel bathroom (he was homeless and jobless and he would have thought it was a miracle that he had survived this long if he did not know exactly how long he could survive lacking certain things regardless), he wondered what this man's motives were. No one was quite this generous. Despite these suspicions, he changed into the clothes given to him, everything a little small seeing as his host was on the petite side.

It was when Doctor stepped out of the bathroom that he realized his (fatal, he thought) mistake.

"You're..." Doctor said, staring at the man before him. The boy who had before had short blonde hair and glasses had suddenly sprouted long black hair and obviously had no need for glasses. "You're No. X."

"Ah, so you do recognize me," Xiao said smilingly, seemingly pleased. "I don't mean you any harm, Doctor. Please, take a seat." He gestured towards the couch by the coffee table, a plate of fresh dinner sitting upon it. "I thought it would be easier to coerce you along under disguise."

"What do you want with me?" Doctor inquired, suddenly on guard, pointedly not touching the offered food. For all he knew, the food could be poisoned.

"It was just curiosity," Xiao answered as he filled a plate for himself. "I saw you and thought you looked like you could use some help..."

"Why would one of you help one of us?"

Xiao took a bite of meat, something like chicken, thinking this over. Why would he? That was a good question.

"Curiosity," he said again.

"Curiosity," the doctor repeated.

"Curiosity," confirmed Xiao.

Doctor glared, arms crossed over his chest. "What do you really want, No. X?"

Shrugging again, Xiao continued to eat. "Just what I said." It was the only thing on the shelf, but Doctor wasn't buying it.

"You Chronos guys never do anything on your own without benefit," Doctor said bitterly.

"Perhaps," Xiao quietly replied, pouring himself a glass of bottled water over ice cubes. "But perhaps I'm trying to understand what it is Black Cat gains from gaining nothing." Xiao had always admired Black Cat to an extent, even now, and he often wondered what is was that the ex-eraser was getting from his new life.

Doctor did not respond, lifting a forkful of something green to his mouth instead. The food looked a little off (or maybe it was just something he had never seen before) but it tasted delicious (then again, he was starved).

"There's plenty more," Xiao informed him, not bothering to hide the slight smugness of his tone. Doctor had quickly emptied his plate and at this invitation he gladly went after seconds. Settling back on the couch, he got down to business. No more beating around the bush - well, for Xiao. Doctor hadn't been beating around the bush.

"So I'm an experiment for you."

"I suppose you could put it that way," Xiao agreed, intriguing the Doctor who was all too fond of experimentation.

"Then may I use you for experimentation in return?" he asked quietly, head bowed over his plate. It was only fair and just, correct? (Not that Doctor normally cared to be fair and just -- only when it was beneficial to him.)

"What kind of experimentation?" His voice was sweet and calm as usual but serious all the same. Doctor would not look up because he knew his host was still smiling as innocently as ever, damn him. It was a little irking, but he tried to just imagine he was dealing with Kyoko.

"Nothing bad," Doctor answered, chancing a glance up. "No one will be harmed."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. I use you, you use me."

And so began an odd... _friendship_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Black Cat belongs to Kentaro Yabuki. I claim no rights to it. **

**A/N: This chapter probably should have been saved for later on in the story, but I like it where it is and I can play off it. So here it stays. Further progress of the story will make it seem more sensible, trust me.  
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Doctor awoke in the dead of the night, curled up in thin blankets on an uncomfortable pull-out sofa bed. It was winter, of course, but he was inside now and he expected warmth. A normal person would simply be grateful to be taken in off the streets, but he wanted the full luxury.

Doctor, however, did not want to mess with the temperature of the hotel room. He did not know a thing about Xiao Li and with his luck the man would be picky about temperatures and have a fit over him messing with the thermostat. Instead, he stood up and stumbled towards the closest space he could place himself near the heater - the hotel bed.

It was a king size bed and so there was plenty of room for two bodies. Xiao Li had placed himself in the center of the bed and slept on his back, but Doctor found room to squeeze himself in, tucking just enough of the comforter (his blankets were hardly worthy of being called "blankets" - obviously Xiao Li wasn't yet so generous as to hand over his own comforters) around himself to easily fall back asleep.

It was even later in the night when Doctor awoke again. He was nice and cozy and warm and no longer falling off the side of the bed. Paying closer attention to the input his senses were sending his mind, Doctor noted that he felt the distinct warmth from another living body and arms wrapped lightly around him. And something against his chest, a head he assumed as feathery strands of hair tickled at his neck and chin.

Opening his eyes, Doctor was only mildly surprised to find Xiao Li snuggled up to him. From the clues he had already gained from his senses, it is what he had expected and so his shock had already passed, but it was still another thing entirely to wake up to find a person snuggled up to you like this (he completely disregarded the fact that originally he was the one to climb into the bed and Xiao Li deserved to be surprised far more than he).

It was interesting, though. Doctor could not remember the last time someone had been close to him like this. He almost began to question if anyone had ever, but let that thought subside quickly, gingerly placing his arms around the form in return. He thought about this for a moment, considering his actions. They surprised even him, truthfully. In the name of knowledge, however, he would not let this stop here. He would not give in to his thoughts of "by the gods this is unnatural!" and that little ticking uncomfortable feeling in the back of his head. His desire to know was throbbing and he would pursue things relevant to his interests! So it seemed completely normal to him to pull back from the form enough to gently press his lips to the other's.

Xiao's eyes fluttered open at the unfamiliar sensation against his lips. He released Doctor, pushing him away and moving back himself, trying to get out of the other man's reach.

"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed, eyes opened wide. The room was pitch black, but the window's curtains were cracked just enough to let in a combination of moonlight and street light and illuminate the room to let the two vaguely see one another.

"Experimenting," Doctor replied coolly, sitting up and grabbing Xiao's wrists, pinning him to the bed. He hadn't expected it to be quite so easy to overcome him, actually. Doctor wasn't the best in his physical condition and Xiao happened to be a Chronos Number, so it would make sense that he would rightfully be able to easily escape. Perhaps he wasn't even trying.

"I didn't think you had this kind of thing in mind," Xiao said weakly and bitterly. Doctor would have none of that, however, and quickly silenced him with another kiss. This time he took it a step farther, gently parting the other's lips enough to slip his tongue into his mouth. Xiao's face was blood red, though Doctor could not see this, but he did not try to resist further and quickly submitted to the doctor's moves.

Keeping Xiao occupied with this first advance, Doctor released one wrist, using his free hand to unbutton the man's pajama top. The skin beneath was smooth and white and when Doctor traced his hand over his chest Xiao felt faint chills of delight run up his spine.

Doctor smirked once the kiss was broken, leering at his victim. "I don't get to experiment with such perfect subjects very often. My subjects were always victims of Creed's plans. But you're so much better than that..." Moving the top further out of the way, he traced kisses down Xiao's neck and along his chest, the slim body squirming with every touch.

"Is that alone torture for you?" Doctor asked, running a hand through the black locks. He threw off the covers that had been tangled around them still from the earlier struggle, tucking a finger into the waistband of Xiao's pajama bottoms. "Then how will you ever handle..."

Doctor sat bolt upright in bed, sweating heavily. His first thought was "that was a dream and I am awake". His second thought was to take a deep breathe and wonder how he hadn't realized it was a dream - normally he was a lucid dreamer, fully in control of if he dreamed or not and what he dreamed of and what happened in these dreams.

Eyes trailing across the few feet between them, he watched the figure in bed sleeping peacefully on his back in the center of a warm, comfortable bed. Doctor shivered. It was cold, but he would not make that dream a reality, would not risk it.

All of those thoughts out of the way, he wondered: "what in hell was that dream?"

Obviously he had been Creed's lackey for _far_ too long.


End file.
